


Kick, Push, Coast.

by lillyluna



Category: Swimming RPF
Genre: M/M, Swimming, old fic, sports rpf - Freeform, swimming rpf - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-18
Updated: 2014-08-18
Packaged: 2018-02-13 18:08:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,836
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2160111
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lillyluna/pseuds/lillyluna
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ryan wants to teach Michael to skateboard. Michael wants Devon to get out of his time with Ryan.</p><p>Post Beijing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Kick, Push, Coast.

**Author's Note:**

> This is old. I was looking for something else on my live journal and came across this fic. I'd forgotten it existed. It is slightly modified from its original version. 
> 
> Clearly it's not real.

Michael Phelps has never skateboarded.

Ryan Lochte doesn’t care.

“I always have extra 'cause it’s a drag to go out when I break a board.” Ryan grabs a still shrink wrapped deck from the top of his bookcase and throws it towards Michael, “Fuck, where’s my skate tool.”

Michael catches the deck and flips it over to look at the design; a panda sliding down a rainbow with hearts.

“I know I have some spare… trucks hanging around somewhere…. Dev has to have wheels.” Ryan sorts through the mess of his bedroom as he talks, “I’ll just pop out bearings out of one of my old boards.”

Michael groans, “Dude, I don’t skateboard.”

“Never late to learn. Green or black?” Ryan holds up two packages of wheels he’d found in his underwear drawer.

“What’s the difference?”

“Green. Or. Black?” Ryan repeats.

“Green.”

“Black’ll go better with the deck.” He throws the black ones at Michael and puts the green ones on top of his dresser, “Where are those trucks. Fuck I swear I-“

“You can stop looking, this isn’t happening.”

“Yo, it's soo happening, don’t even.” Ryan digs through his laundry hamper, “Fuck yes. Winner.” He victoriously pulls out two halves of a broken skateboard with trucks still attached, “These will still be good… Until we can get you-“

“Hey, I got wheels. They’re kinda used though.” Devon walks into Ryan’s bedroom without knocking.

Devon never knocks. Devon walks in on them more often than Michael cares to admit. Sometimes Michael thinks Devon does it on purpose.

“It’s cool,” Ryan tells him, “I had some. You got grip tape?”

“There’s some in the garage,” Devon sits on Ryan’s bed “Can I have the wheels? Mine are done.”

“Sure dude,” Ryan tosses the green ones at Devon, “Do we have blades down there too?”

“I guess?” Devon moves so he’s lying back in the spot where Ryan sleeps. “Why d’you need a new deck though? Yours is still-“

“For Mike.” Ryan points to Michael

“Oh.” Devon says like he’s just noticed him. “He don’t skate.”

“I’m teaching him.”

“No, he’s not.” Michael tries. 

He can see their condom wrappers from last night on the bedspread right next to Devon’s arm. The bottle of lube is still on Ryan’s nightstand, he wants to kick Devon out of the room, out of his time with Ryan.

“You know he is.” Devon laughs at him, “Dude I gotta see this. I’ll meet you out back.”

*

Ryan finds a skate tool in his bathroom but the grip tape is nowhere to be found. Ryan insists that if Devon says it’s in the garage, it has to be in the garage because Devon always knows where everything is.

“Ry…” Michael stretches it out because he’s not sure how to phrase his question.

“What?” Ryan’s elbow deep in a cardboard box labeled: “CHEAP BOOZE”

“Does Devon hate me?”

‘DC doesn’t hate anything,” Ryan laughs it off, “You’re good dude.”

“Then why does-“

“Probably just jealous.” Ryan shrugs and moves on to the next box.

Ryan is totally concentrated on going through the half full boxes stacked in his garage. Michael doesn't even understand how Ryan's come to own this much stuff. He doesn't know why Ryan has a half falling apart scooter or a broken punching bag or half a dozen stolen street signs. 

“I spend like all my free time with him.” Ryan shrugs, moving onto another box. “Now I’m with you. Kid feels left out.”

Ryan leaves the boxes alone and goes back to look through the shelves at the back, he lifts a broken surfboard and a basketball trophy out of the way. He tugs on something and turns around grinning.

“Jeah! Grip tape! We’re good to go!”

*

“D’you want an ollie line?” Ryan asks once they’re outside and he’s set up a deck chair as his worktable.

“I don’t know what that-“

“He probably won’t be popping tricks.” Devon calls out from his spot floating in the pool, “Ten bucks says he bails trying to turn right.”

Ryan shakes his head and laughs, “Give the guy a break Dev… “ He peels the paper backing off the grip tape and smoothes it down on the deck palming the air bubbles towards the sides. “Ollie lines are for pussies anyways.”

“I still don’t even know what-“

“Don’t worry about it. You’re not getting one.” Ryan files down the edge of the deck before slicing off the excess grip tape. He takes one of the spare pieces and smoothes out the edges; he raises the deck to eye level and checks it for more air bubbles.

“I bet the edge is all raggedy and shiz.” Devon teases again, “You do a shit job at grip jobs.”

Ryan cocks an eyebrow in Devon’s general direction but doesn’t say anything. He tosses the wheels back at Michael, “Here open these up. I’ll put your trucks on.” He pulls hardware from his pocket and starts piercing screws through the top of the grip tape.

It takes Ryan five more minutes to put the trucks on the deck, the bearings in the wheels and the wheels on the trucks. He hands the finished skateboard to Michael.

“Here we go dude, let’s do this.”

“Dude, I’m gonna suck.” Michael groans, “I’ll probably fall and-“

“This isn’t about being good.” Ryan grabs Michael’s wrist, his hands are rough from smoothing down the grip tape, “It’s about having fun, so get over yourself and get on.”

“Yeah Phelps.” Devon shouts, “Get on, let’s see this.”

“Shut up I’ll drown you.” Ryan yells back at him, “If you don’t behave I’m calling mom to come pick you up.”

“You won’t.” Devon challenges, “You’re all talk, you like me too-“

“Don’t pick on my boyfriend dude. Lets see you beat him in the ‘fly and then you can shit talk his skateboarding.”

That shuts Devon up but Michael can see his pout from the deck. Before he can think too much about it, Ryan’s hand is on his side and he stops caring.

“Ok, step on.” Ryan nudges Michael forward with his hips, “I got you.”

“You don’t need to hold onto me.” Michael rolls his eyes. Ryan holding him is one thing, Ryan holding him so he won’t fall is another.

“I want to.” Ryan loops his arm around Michael’s waist, pulling him closer.

“Then we can go back in.” Michael lowers his voice, tries to sound convincing. “We can go back up.” He grinds back against Ryan, “And you can hold me all you-“

“It’s boring as fuck to watch you guys love on each other.” Devon complains. He’s off the inflatable chair and pulling himself out of the pool. 

“Is that why you walk in on us?” Michael shoots back without thinking because he’s had enough of Devon, “’Cause it’s boring as fuck to watch us mess around?”

“Get off it bro.” Devon says toweling himself off, “ I was trying to talk to Ryan, not to watch you guys fuck.”

“He has nightmares-“ Ryan explains.

“See.” Devon looks at Michael smugly, “I’m not trying to watch you-“

“Dude.” Ryan says and it’s unclear if he’s talking to Devon or Michael, “Let’s just like go skate…” He steps closer to Devon and puts a hand on his shoulder, “Go get dressed and catch up to us, we’re just going up the street.”

Devon looks like he might put up a fight but Ryan leans in closer to him and whispers something Michael can’t make out and Devon goes inside without another word.

“Sorry about him.” Ryan kicks his own skateboard up and does the same with Michael’s, “He’s kind of a brat sometimes. Let’s just go.”

“I still don’t know how to do this.” Michael says following Ryan out of the backyard.

“You just kick, push and coast bro, one foot on the board.” Ryan takes a running start and demonstrates; “I ain't asking you to be Shaun White I just want a straight line.” He gives himself one more push and glides back to Michael. “C’mon, one foot on the board, the faster you do it the more of a head start we get on Devon.”

*

It takes Michael a few tries and he eats pavement twice but he gets the hang of it and soon enough he’s coasting right alongside Ryan. It is fun.

Devon never catches up to them, even when they double back a few times and when they stop at a 7-11 to grab Slurpees. The store clerk eyes them suspiciously like they’re just two kids who are up to no good and Michael gets a fleeting feel of what it must have been like to grow up as Ryan Lochte.

Michael pretends he doesn’t notice Ryan checking his phone or texting with one hand as he lazily weaves in and around Michael.

“Why don’t you just call him?” Michael finally says because Ryan’s face is creased with worry and he’s never seen Ryan worry about anything.

“It’s just like… If something happens to him my mom will kill me. Seriously. I have to keep that kid alive and he does the stupidest shit sometimes. It’s like my mom’s getting back at me for the shit I put her through.”

“He’s probably just sitting in your closet smelling your clothes.” Michael jokes, “That kid’s just obsessed with you. If he wasn’t your brother-“

“I’m like his hero.” Ryan shrugs, “I just feel like I’ve been like… I’m not living up to it.”

“That’s fucking not true.” Michael says, “Like I don’t have a brother but I’m guessing you’re as good as it gets.”

“I try.” Ryan says, “But this fucking kid…” He hits the dial button on his phone, “Dev? What the fuck dude, where are you… At my house? Fuck we’ve been skating in circles fucking waiting for you dude… We’re on our way back… Hit me up next time… I thought you’d been hit by a car or…” He falls quiet and bites his lip while he listens to whatever Devon’s saying

Michael watches the worry disappear from Ryan’s face. Watches him rub the back of his neck and sit down on his skateboard, still listening to Devon talk.

“Yeah?” Ryan clears his throat, “We’ll be back in like twenty okay? Stay there… Just take some out of my room. Peace.”

“He’s okay?” Michael asks

“Yeah, he was just… pissed off, you were right. I told him we were headed back, we can like order pizza or Chinese or both for dinner is that cool?”

“I thought we were going out?”

“I just feel bad ditching DC again.” Ryan runs a hand through his curls, “We can like go out tomorrow or-“

“It’s cool,” Michael tries not to sighs, he can almost see the smirk on Devon’s face, “We should pick up more beer though.”

“One thing I learned.” Ryan moves close to kiss him, “Is you don’t fucking skateboard and hold a case of beer. I’ll show you the scar tonight.”


End file.
